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In Mint’s reported ranking as of October 1, 2026, Bank of India Small Cap Fund led the year-to-date (YTD) and five-year direct-plan return charts, while Bandhan Small Cap Fund led the three-year chart. These are historical point-to-point results, not forecasts or recommendations. Mint attributed YTD figures to Morningstar and three- and five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) figures to Value Research.
Active equity scheme return leaders as of October 1, 2026
The following rankings reproduce Mint’s reported direct-plan returns for active diversified Indian equity schemes. YTD returns are attributed to Morningstar; three- and five-year CAGRs are attributed to Value Research. The figures have not been independently recalculated from scheme NAV histories.
| Rank | YTD 2026 | Return | Three-year CAGR | Return | Five-year CAGR | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bank of India Small Cap Fund | 31.74% | Bandhan Small Cap Fund | 23.15% | Bank of India Small Cap Fund | 20.04% |
| 2 | TrustMF Smallcap Fund | 25.11% | ITI Small Cap Fund | 23.10% | Motilal Oswal Midcap Fund | 19.60% |
| 3 | Samco Small Cap Fund | 24.93% | Invesco India Mid Cap Fund | 21.81% | Bandhan Small Cap Fund | 19.29% |
| 4 | Union Small Cap Fund | 20.69% | HSBC Midcap Fund | 21.79% | Invesco India Small Cap Fund | 19.23% |
| 5 | Motilal Oswal Small Cap Fund | 19.77% | Bank of India Small Cap Fund | 21.60% | Quant Small Cap Fund | 18.64% |
All values in the table are direct-plan returns dated October 1, 2026, as reported by Mint. The YTD column is a year-to-date return; the other two columns are annualized CAGRs over trailing three- and five-year periods. The figures therefore represent different windows and measures and should not be read as interchangeable.
What the rankings show—and what they do not
- Every fund in Mint’s YTD top five is a small-cap scheme. That is a description of this date-specific ranking, not evidence that small-cap funds will continue to lead or suit every investor.
- Small-cap schemes also feature prominently in both longer-term lists, alongside mid-cap schemes. These are different market-cap categories and should not be treated as one uniform strategy.
- Bank of India Small Cap Fund appears in all three lists: first for YTD, fifth for three-year CAGR and first for five-year CAGR. A past ranking does not establish future performance.
How to use a return chart responsibly
Compare like with like
Keep the plan, category, return measure and measurement date consistent. These rankings use direct plans; substituting regular-plan figures would not be an apples-to-apples comparison. Fund factsheets can show different returns for direct and regular plans.
#1 Best Overall
Check the benchmark and more than one start date
A ranking against other funds does not show whether a scheme beat its stated benchmark. Compare scheme and benchmark performance over matching periods. Point-to-point returns also depend on the chosen start and end dates; rolling returns provide another view of how results varied across periods. AMC factsheets illustrate both benchmark comparisons and rolling-return reporting.
Verify scheme data before acting
SEBI’s directory points investors to AMFI resources for scheme performance, NAV history, scheme details, monthly factsheets and assets under management. Those routes can help with verification, but the specific rankings above were not independently reproduced from raw NAV data. For questions about suitability, SBI Mutual Fund’s May 2026 factsheet advises: “Investors should consult their financial advisers if in doubt about whether the product is suitable for them.”
Quick Recap
Sources and methodology
- Mint’s October 5, 2026 report provides the rankings and reports direct-plan returns dated October 1, 2026, attributing YTD figures to Morningstar and three- and five-year figures to Value Research.
- SEBI’s directory identifies AMFI data resources for checking scheme information and performance.
- SBI Mutual Fund’s May 2026 factsheet illustrates scheme-versus-benchmark and direct-versus-regular performance disclosures and contains the suitability note quoted above.
- PPFAS’s July factsheet presents rolling returns as a separate performance measure.
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